Chapter 10 - "Thank you, Ryan."

 

"Me? Mascot!?" I screamed to my hearts content. This was a very unreasonable job to give me, there weren't even a mascot in the original plan, why was there one now?

"She could've thought of every possible job and she gave me the mascot?" I sat down the garden bench and opened my drink. Alastair followed and sat down as well.

"Why do we even have a mascot? We're doing a prison booth!" I looked at him and asked. Why would you need a mascot for a prison booth?

"I believe that Julia has something against you." Against me? But why? As far as I'm concerned we have never interacted, only in cases when we need to pass written essays to her.

Julia Adams is our class representative, she's nice, neat, and confident in how she brings herself. How did I offend her anyway? She always smiled when we talk, she's considerate, and very nice.

"I don't remember doing anything against her though?" I thought deeply about our encounters, nothing special came to mind. All of our encounters were normal as far as I can tell.

"Besides, she's been nothing to me but nice so far." It's most likely that the job just fell on me. I'd say that the job of a mascot is better than running around campus searching for people. Although I was not into the idea of staying inside a hot costume for a whole day, but now that I think about it. It may be a good opportunity!

"You know what? It might not be a bad idea either." I acknowledged the fact that I'll have the ability to be near the "leads" without being seen as a stalker. I can't be seen near Natalie anymore, specially after that incident happened a few weeks back. I was honestly surprised that no rumors and nasty gossip are circulating the school. The only thing that was talked about is how I blocked the "prince" from passing through and caused him a disturbance. I laughed after hearing that from my classmates, the students here do really treat the male lead like a god. I mean, he is smart and capable enough to be the student body president and has good looks.

If only he wasn't that arrogant. I'd probably praise him personally if he didn't view himself as someone who has all the rights in the world, just seeing his face gets my blood boiling for some reason.

"You're quick to change minds aren't you." Alastair looked at me with sarcasm in his tone. This kid really. He used to stutter just a month ago and would always ask for my help, what the heck happened to him now? Don't tell me he's being influenced by the arrogant mindset of the students here?

"Wah, really, this kid. You used to call me big sister when you talked to me what happened to you?" I remembered how he used to subtly call me big sister (noona) when he ate with me or when he needed something.

"I'm not a kid, besides, I'm only 1 year younger than you." Is this really the cute chubby kid that I met in the library before? I leaned forwards and reached my hand out, he flinched slightly but I still continued. I ruffled his hair and laughed.

"One and a half." Well, technically I'm 15 years older than you (Demi's 30 years old). I wasn't sure why he flinched, I always mess his hair anyway. Was he worried that I'd hit him? Did I come off as violent to him?

"H-hey what are you-" Before he could finish his sentence I cut him off and gave him my now empty juice box.

"Now please get me another one baby boy." I teased him by calling him a baby. After some exchange of words, he finally gave in and went to the canteen. I sat back on the bench and smiled. That kid reminds me of Ryan, he was a young kid I played with when I was in the province living with my grandmother and grandfather. I never really get to say goodbye to him when the house was seized and I was forcefully taken into my aunt's custody.

Those were the peaceful days, short but peaceful days that I enjoyed.

I wonder where Ryan is now, how he's doing, does he have a family now? I also thought of Uncle Bill, the farmer working right under us, he was Ryan's father and a very good man. I've always wanted to visit them, but I'd always tell myself that I don't have time, more like telling myself excuses to not go. I couldn't really pinpoint what the reason for my hesitation was, and I wish I could've at least tried to contact them. Memories of the good old days were coming back as if water was poured over me.

  "Noona, why do you always touch my hair?" The 7-year-old Ryan held my hand to prevent it from touching his hair again. He used to like my head pats, but he eventually hated it.

"Because your my baby brother." The 11-year-old me smiled at the small boy that I have always taken care of. I was there when he first lost his tooth, when he first walked, when he said his first words, and when he first liked a girl. I was always beside him, teaching him how to read, how to politely talk, it was all peaceful until I turned 13.

"You're staring into space again." I turned my head towards Alastair who was holding out a drink.

"They ran out of strawberry, only chocolate was left."

"Thank you, Ryan." I said in a quiet voice that only I could hear. I opened the drink and sipped while I looked at the leaves falling from the tree in front of us.

.

.

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"Please go to the class professors and let them sign this form, after that you paste these fliers inside their class and through the hallways, you got to do it alright? I gotta go thank you Yvonne!" Julia, the class representative gave me a thick stack of fliers and ran out the doors.

It was 4:30 pm when I finished part of my job painting the signs inside the room, when the class rep. suddenly came in and saw me, she then rushed towards me and gave me a heavy stack of papers.

'All I gotta do now is paste these fliers and I'm good to go.' I was the only one that remained inside the room. I wanted to finish what I had to do as much as possible so I could just relax for the remaining few weeks so I stayed to try and finish my work. I was walking through the ground floor hallways and thinking about how Nova was. I had to admit, I do miss him. When you got someone who always chatter like a broken recorder beside you and get used to it... you'll feel something missing when things become silent. When his sleep time gradually increased, I was feeling more and more dull as the day goes by, but of course I'll never tell him these thoughts. I was pasting a poster on one of the school cork boards when I heard two voices.

"H-happy birthday Luc." I heard a female voice say. It felt familiar and that was why I walked near the door of the room and paste the poster on the board beside it.

"Why should I accept this?" I heard a male voice, that I assume to be coming from Lucas.

"I-I heard that you liked Hermes, so I bought this personalized gift for you." I couldn't see what the gift was exactly, but from the brand name I could tell that it costs more than 4 digits.

"So you made me come here just to waste my time?" His voice got lower and I could feel the heavy atmosphere way out here.

"I-I .." I heard the class rep stutter and the room fell into silence.

"Where are the completed fliers that you're supposed to paste then?"  Lucas questioned Julia.

"I-I pasted them all!" Wow, so you made me do all the work of walking all around campus for almost an hour just to meet this dude? I feel betrayed. I looked at the almost finished stack of papers in my hand. 'Well, I might as well finish them now.' I didn't get to hear the conversation after that as I continued pasting the last few papers out.

"Why can't you like me!? I'm from a well-off family, I'm smart, and I have a nice face and body. What more do you need?" I heard a distressed shout followed by a loud sob.

*SOB*

I saw the two people in the hallways. Julia threw the box towards Lucas and it hit his forehead but he calmly caught the box and glared at Julia.

*WAILING*

A few moments later I heard a cry and running footsteps down the hall, it was Julia. When she got nearer, she noticed me looking at her and my gaze was returned with a glare.

"What the hell are you looking at!?" She shouted and ran away again.

"You're very welcome." I held up the remaining fliers that she made me hung up and glared at her. She ran past me and continued crying. I didn't know that Julia was this kind of person. I know she liked Lucas based on the novel but it was a pure type of admiration. Who would've thought that she's narcissistic as hell?

'Wow, this b*tch.' I would've retorted if I didn't know what had happened before. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt since I'm tired as well. I'm honestly tired from painting 5 big boards and walking around the campus just to paste these. I'm almost done, I might as well paste the remaining two.

I was walking towards a school board when I saw Lucas walking out of the hallway where Julia ran away from.

"Pft." I held my laughter when I saw his bruised head. there was a noticeable bump on his forehead. He wore a pissed expression as he held the box in his right hand just to throw it to the nearest trash can. I was laughing by myself but when he met my gaze I covered my mouth and turned away.

'Cr*p, I should've walked away when I saw him.' I turned away and briskly walked away.'

"What are you doing here?" I was approached by none other than a pissed-off Lucas.

"What, Can I not be in this school anymore?" I turned around and faced him.

'Woah.' I stepped back immediately as I turned around. He was so close that I could see his long lashes and soft skin. 'How can this guy have no pores!?' I thought to myself and felt a little jealous. I was surprised as to how he was so close to me.

"And why do you always question me whenever we talk?" After maintaining a distance between us I talked again and asked him. He always asks me what I'm doing as if he's interrogating me. I feel like I'm being reprimanded for something bad that I didn't do whenever he does that. It reminds me of those two men back at the mansion.

"And why do you always appear around me? Has anyone told you that you're being obvious?" Wah, I couldn't believe what this kid just said to me. Is he really delusional to think that every woman around him is obsessed with him? As if he was hinting on me liking him, he was smirking.

"Has anyone told you that your face is thicker than the walls of this school?" I looked at him dumbfounded. I laughed out loud when my eyes saw the bump on his forehead once again. Now that I've seen it up close, there seems to be a small wound. 'How hard did Julia throw that box?', and to cause a small wound.

"You're laughing at me again." His smirking face darkened when he saw me laughing at him.

"When have I ever-" I stopped mid sentence when he suddenly leaned in closer.

 

 

 

{Author: He leaned closer!! (*≧∀≦)ゞ}